Buffalo Bills 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Spotlight: WR Adonai Mitchell

Reviewing one of the best wideouts in the 2024 class

The Buffalo Bills are on a course to enter the 2024 NFL Draft with a plethora of perceived needs across the board. One of the positions undergoing a major makeover this offseason is at the wide receiver spot where the room has flipped quite a bit under the tutelage of general manager Brandon Beane.

Gabe Davis was selected by the Bills in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft to be a potential vertical threat despite having limited athleticism. That limitation proved detrimental too often along with drops aplenty over the course of his Bills tenure. There just wasn’t much more to the eye with Davis than getting down the field vertically. Thus, the Bills chose to move on from him this offseason, and Davis landed with the Jacksonville Jaguars during free agency despite a resume of quality production over multiple seasons.

Bargain-bin signings like Trent Sherfield and Deonte Harty didn’t reap the rewards the team was hoping for from a depth perspective. To go with their offseason theme, Beane and company chose to move on from both players after just one season in Orchard Park, NY. Stefon Diggs and Khalil Shakir were the only players left standing who played snaps in the regular season and playoffs in 2023.

Of course, the Bills couldn’t be done there with just those two to count on going into next year. The team first started by signing veteran Mack Hollins to provide depth as a downfield ball winner on a one-year deal. Then the Bills did something very interesting and somewhat out of left field. Curtis Samuel — one of the better open-market options — signed a three-year $24 million deal to play for Buffalo. Of that, $15 million is guaranteed to the veteran playmaker. That’s a fair bit of money as Samuel reunites with his former Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator in Joe Brady. Samuel will surely be in a position to see utilization as an offensive weapon to create yards after the catch and explosive plays with the ball in his hands. It’s a clear step by the franchise to help Josh Allen with hidden yards any way they can.

So a corps consisting of Diggs (who will turn 31 during this coming season), Shakir (an emerging splash player), Samuel, Hollins, and the team’s fifth-round pick from last year in Justin Shorter (did not play in 2023) is the perceived unit as April begins.

There’s some wiggle for that room to improve and opportunity to get ahead of any potential downward post-age 30 trajectory for Diggs in a very strong wide receiver draft class. The team should be in the market for a somewhat versatile player with a likely feeling that any receiver they peek at in the draft can be an effective X-option and win against press corners in the NFL.

An option as an “X” with some versatility to move about the formation is Texas wideout Adonai “AD” Mitchell. The former Georgia Bulldog exploded onto the scene in 2023 after multiple splashy years had already soaked his resume. There’s plenty to like about Mitchell’s game and how he fits into what the Bills are building under a revamped receiver corps this year and beyond.

Diving into the All-22 film, games versus Alabama, Kansas, and Oklahoma were observed to construct the below scouting report for Mitchell and his perceived fit with the Buffalo Bills at pick 28 overall.

AD Mitchell Scouting Report

NFL Scouting Combine Testing

• 6’2”, 205 pounds
• 4.34 40-yard dash
• 39.5” vertical jump
• 11’4” broad jump

Positives

• Tested as an off-the-charts athlete in a verified setting
• Sudden in-and-out of breaks with no limitations
• Eats up grass in a hurry when given coverage cushion
• Catches the ball off-frame and can reel in off-target throws in the intermediate areas
• Has run a large route tree (Digs, Corners, Verticals, Speed Outs, Comebacks)
• Successful attacking the middle of the field and stretching vertical; burned Alabama’s NFL-riddled secondary with stutter-n-go verticals
• Acrobatic receptions show up to match the athlete

Negatives

• Not a consistently intense football player; when he’s not expecting the ball, half-baked routes exist on his tape; Will need week-to-week attention to detail on every rep to reach ceiling
• Yards-after-catch is mediocre for a player of his athletic profile; likely won’t be a strength at the next level
• Not a natural jump-ball player; struggles with attacking the ball in 50-50 shot situations

Why AD Mitchell fits the Bills

There’s some Stefon Diggs to AD Mitchell’s game for his ability to do a little bit of everything as a route runner to couple with his natural hands. Some may be worried about a potential skill-set duplication, but part of Diggs’ appeal is his ability to be versatile — which Mitchell also provides.

Mitchell’s presence won’t deter Diggs, as they can work off of each other despite the similarities. Players like Khalil Shakir are different in skill set enough to the point where it still works in this case.

This draft class is one teams want to get their hands on at some point. The first round appears to be well within play and Mitchell is someone who would fit within the range the Bills are selecting. Mitchell isn’t a perfect prospect by any means, but the talent is undeniable if you can reign in any concerns about effort and intensity.

Keeping the cupboard full and attacking the draft’s positions of strength in sensible spots tends to be quite wise. Mitchell offers elite athleticism coupled with route-running potential. He’s not an awesome player with the ball in his hands, but that’s why Shakir and Samuel exist within your scheme. If the interviews checked out, this is a logical selection.